IELTS Academic
British Council, IDP and Cambridge University Press & Assessment
EnglishEnglish
IELTS Academic is a four-skills English test for people applying to study at university. It is widely accepted by universities around the world, but always check that your course accepts it.
Details
- Format
- Four parts: Listening (about 30 minutes), Reading (60 minutes), Writing (60 minutes) and Speaking (11–14 minutes, a live conversation with an examiner). Total time is about 2 hours 45 minutes.
- Scoring
- Each part gets a band from 0 to 9 (half bands allowed). Your overall band is the average of the four parts, rounded to the nearest half band. Requirements vary, but many universities ask for around 6.0–7.0 overall (6.5 is common), often with a minimum in each part. If you took IELTS on computer, you may be able to retake one part within 60 days with IELTS One Skill Retake, where it is offered; check that your university accepts it.
- Results valid for
- IELTS recommends treating results as valid for 2 years after the test. Some organisations accept older results, so check with each one.
- How you take it
- On computer at an official test centre. Paper-based IELTS is being withdrawn from mid-2026, with dates that vary by country; some countries offer a 'Writing on Paper' option where you handwrite only the Writing part. IELTS Online lets you take IELTS Academic at home in some countries (age 18+), but it is not accepted for visa or immigration purposes.